Jethro 5 snippet 2

   Progress report: I 'officially' started Shelby Logan Chronicles 1: Convoy yesterday. I'm dipping my toe into it, the acts are broken down into chapters and I've got a handle on the plot though I need to make a few revisions. So far so good, I'm up to 70 pages though I haven't settled down to write from the beginning as of yet. Still skipping around and doing prep and research. :)

   I'm hoping to get my battery backup today, as well as Captain America 3 and other stuff. Last Friday's 14 hour power outage was the straw that broke the camel's back. I'm tired of stuff like that happening, and scared it will eventually do damage to my PC again. (and loosing work sucks! Been there, done that!) I know with my monster of a PC it will only last 10 minutes, but that is a 10 minute window I'll be able to save my work and shut down properly with!

  It is gorgeously cool today so I've been productive... despite the antics of the furballs. (one is in my lap again as I try to type this) I am seriously in love with the 60 degree weather. I'll take gloom and cool weather over 100 and sunny any day!

On to the snippet! Still in chapter 1:

The following morning he formally reported in, but the duty officer told him he wasn't needed for the day. “It's Sunday Master Sergeant. Get some rest, check in tomorrow with me then. General Forth didn't tell me you were coming so I don't have specific orders for you,” the Naga lieutenant said. “He's off on a fishing trip, so I'll email him when he returns tonight.”

“Understood,” Jethro replied with a nod.

“Dismissed then,” the Lieutenant said. Jethro came to attention, but the Naga had already turned and slithered away to attend to another problem. He about faced and walked out of the room and then out of the admin building.

It seemed he was given time to familiarize himself with the changes to the base. So, he decided a quick tour, some time at the PX and BX, and then a more in-depth tour of the spec ops community was in order.

He himself didn't know what General Forth had in mind for him, though he had a general idea whatever it would be, it would be temporary.

He checked out the facilities but they were only lightly used at the moment, given it was the weekend. Apparently someone had set up a regular schedule with time off. It was almost quaint, he thought, though the enemy didn't follow any sort of schedule like that he thought. Combat came when you least expected it sometimes, usually when your guard was at its lowest, he reminded himself.

Then he shook himself. He didn't need or want to get himself too edgy, he thought. He had time to decompress on Kathy's World and on the flight to Agnosta he thought. No need to borrow trouble.

Orders from General Forth came in just before he was going to go to bed at 2200. They were brief he noted as he stood by the window. He noted people straggling back to the barracks along the winding paths below. Solar powered lights lit up the path nicely, and the light was directed down at the path itself, so there was little light pollution.

More than a few of the people who were straggling in weren't very steady on their feet, and one or two had to be propped up by a buddy. He scanned the orders but they were minimal. A welcome to Agnosta, and a note that he would be on detached duty to observe and counsel the spec ops community. He had a small office in admin overflow, and that was it.

So, until the powers that be knew what to do with him he decided to make the most of it and check in with a few familiar faces.

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On the second day in the base Jethro ran into an old friend, Gunny Schultz just as he exited the restaurant he'd stopped in to have lunch at. His former DI and sergeant was still an E-11, a Master Gunnery Sergeant, though there had been talk about moving him up higher. “Good to see you Gunny,” he said with a nod to Schultz as he walked up to the Neodoberman. “Damn good to see a familiar face.”

The Neodog's pointed ears flicked. “I heard you did well in Kathy's World and Protodon. Though I think your mama dropped you one too many times on the head to try that fool jump in Kathy's World,” the Neodoberman said with a shake of his head. Jethro flicked his ears in humor. “You know that's becoming something of a legend in the corps already?” Jethro suddenly grimaced in embarrassment. “Yeah, you are a character, the whole boarding a ship all on your own,” the Neodog said, shaking his head in mock amusement.

“I didn't have much time to think about it. And an order is an order Gunny. At least I had my armor. For a minute there I thought they were going to send me over with a butter knife in my teeth and without a suit,” Jethro joked. Bast flicked her ears on his HUD.

The Neodoberman chuckled. “Sounds about right,” he drawled as he shook his head. “Keeping with tradition and all that they probably should have.”

Jethro flicked his ears, good humor restored.

“So, what are you up to?” the Neodoberman finally asked.

“You mean you, with all your connections don't know?” Jethro asked, staring at Schultz in mock surprise.

The Neodoberman rolled his eyes. “Give me a break. I knew you were coming, but there is a lid on your file remember?” Jethro nodded. “Yeah, so, you're here. Now what?”

“I'm only here for a short time. My orders are to go elsewhere, but they don't specify doing what or where I'll end up,” Jethro said carefully. What they said was he was going to Antigua. But since the Gunny didn't know, and his orders specified to tell no one, he left that part out.

The Neodoberman stared at him for a long moment then snorted. “Typical, they won't tell even you,” he said.

Jethro flicked his ears and then spread his hands. “You can't tell what you don't know I suppose. Besides, we're soldiers, we go and do what we're told,” he said.

“That's true,” the Neodoberman said in a slightly aggrieved tone of voice. Jethro's ears perked up. The Neodoberman eyed him and then looked away. “Don't give me that look,” he growled.

“What look?” Jethro asked innocently. He saw the severe look his former boss had and knew something was eating at him. “What's up Gunny?” he asked in a cooler tone of voice.

“It's...”

“Come on, you can tell me,” the Neocat wheedled. The Doberman eyed him for another long moment, as if sizing him up before he snorted again, softer that time and then decided to unload a bit.

“This really should be over beers, but...” The Doberman inhaled then exhaled slowly. Jethro cocked his head as the Gunny unloaded.

He had everything under control, it was smooth sailing... and that seemed to be the problem. It boiled down to the simple fact that the gunny was bored and needed a new challenge. “I hate whining but...”

“You aren't whining Gunny. You've sucked it up, but you taught us that everyone needs to vent sometime,” Jethro corrected.

“I know. But asking for a combat posting...” Schultz shook his head. “It's like they need me here, that usual crap. I know I can do more than be an administrator...” he said.

Jethro grimaced and flicked his ears. The needs of the Marines had pushed them both up through the ranks like a meteor. And the higher you went usually the more administrative duties you had and the less actual hands on with the troops.

“They finally cycled Brenet and Jefferson out of training to infantry, though I heard Jefferson was thinking about going mustang. That might be a part of my problem, they might think since I'm here, they are safe. Everything's covered, smooth sailing, leave him where he is. I'm... wuff,” the Neodog said heaving a sigh.

“Something to think about,” Jethro said slowly, eying him. It was the most he'd ever heard from his mentor. This was really bothering him he knew.

The Neodog snorted. “I'm a noncom thank you very much. I'd rather execute the orders than have to come up with them. Besides, I've got a bit less paperwork where I'm at. I still have some, and I have to put up with enough meetings to make me want to shoot myself, but I know I'm lucking out in not having to go through all the hoops an officer does. And I don't like playing dress up for the cameras and the party crowd. Thanks but NO thanks,” he said with finality in his voice. “The idea is to get away from the hoopla and do what I've been trained to do.”

Jethro snorted. He cocked his head again then nodded slowly. “I think you should put in for a transfer. Do your homework, and put in for something new. New horizons, a place where you can still be a positive influence.”

He knew they'd most likely transfer the Neodog to Antigua to help set up the Marine training centers there, but he was wise enough not to point it out.

The Neodog shook his head. “They won't allow it. I'm too much of an asset here,” he said with a grimace.

“By hook or by crook Gunny. Put in for a transfer. You of all people know how to game the system to make it clear it's time for you to move on. Let them know you are feeling stale and want a change in scenery. If they don't bite, well, find a way to lean on them if you have to.”

The Neodoberman nodded slowly. “I'll think about it.”

“Good. You don't want to get stale here,” Jethro said firmly.

That simple statement of agreement seemed to help ease something in his former boss's spine a bit. “They'll need someone to replace me,” the Neodoberman said as he eyed the Neocat. “Want the job?”

“Me? I wouldn't mind it, at least for a while,” Jethro said slowly. In all honesty his wife would love that he was in a training post rather than in combat. Especially after what happened to her younger brother on Protodon, he thought.

But it wasn't up to him he knew. Others had plans for him. “I'm slated for something else. The brass wants me in Antigua for my sins. I'm probably going to be paraded before the cameras so they can reenact that ceremony, and who knows what afterward,” he said with a shake of his head. “Either off to recruiting or Protodon or...” he shrugged.

The Neodoberman nodded slowly. As much as he'd like to hand the job over to Jethro... the Neocat was definitely qualified given his DI background, he knew he couldn't. Jethro had a target on his back. The assassin's guild hadn't let the matter drop he knew. Anyone near the cat unknowingly were on the same bulls-eye. Therefore, Jethro had to be a moving target. One that was kept away from those he loved in case what came after him spilled over on innocent bystanders as well.

It sucked, but such was life he thought as they returned to their separate duties.

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When he got back to his temporary office Jethro checked in with the sniper classes to see how things were going. Sergeant Major Jefferson was no longer in charge of the advanced training and he didn't recognize the new guy. Obviously there had been some teething issues as the new administration got settled in it seemed. A bit of slack here and there, or just Murphy's intervention had caught up with them. He'd heard the scuttlebutt; he just didn't want any of it happening on his watch.

Even though he was only going to be on planet another month or so.

Each incident had been investigated by NCIS and JAG, but Jethro knew it was a bit more than ass covering involved. The current leadership might have tried to shift the blame, but that had failed utterly. Fortunately for them, most of the problems were indeed found to be the fault of other factors... or as he had noted a moment ago, Murphy putting in an appearance.

Not even Admiral Irons could count on Lady Luck's blessing forever he knew.

As he looked in deeper he didn't like what he found. There had been a rash of recent accidents some weather related, but a few others stood out as well. Two of the accidents had been in the field, but the more serious ones had been on shore while the troops had been off duty. A ferry bringing them back from the mainland had capsized in a storm and had unfortunately killed several Marines and civilian contractors before rescue arrived. Another group of Marines had been critically injured or killed after a night of partying and racing.

When the survivors got out of the hospital they were going to wish they'd been numbered among the dead once Schultz got through with them.

The 2 accidents.... he pulled up the files before Bast could do so and then his eyes scanned left and right as he read the reports. 1 had been due to a nasty fall, the other was indeed shitty luck; a widow maker in the forest had been freaky enough to catch someone off guard.

He shook his head. Murphy indeed, he thought, though he still wanted to look into the training standards to make certain people weren't getting slack or careless. Usually people tightened up after a gory example to remind them to take things seriously... but not always.

He scanned the recommendations and then nodded. Good, someone was a step ahead of him.

The accidents in sniper school had forced the trainers to undergo a review and tighten up not only the training, but also their entry standards. They had learned a lot after learning hard lessons in combat, applying that knowledge and passing it on to the next generation of Marines was therefore critical.

That was why he was back, even if only briefly. He wasn't certain what he could pass on, especially if he was in admin shuffling paperwork and getting acquainted with the changes to the programs and schedule. He couldn't do anything about it though, those were his orders.

The accidents did open up some slots in the program. He noted half of them had yet to be filled. Well, he could do something about that, he thought.

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